War on truth has been a key factor in this divisive US election

George Brandis’ opinion piece sums up what’s at stake in the US election (“Trump dodged a bullet. Let’s hope the world does and he loses,” November 3). If Trump wins, global politics will be disrupted when he ends support for Ukraine, giving Russia and China a confidence boost. US democracy may never recover and democracies everywhere will look increasingly fragile. His aggressive tariff policy will deliver a big hit to the global economy. Brandis is clear that Trump’s media apologists, who call themselves conservatives, are really just disruptors flying a false flag. How is it possible that Trump could win after US voters saw his attack on democracy on January 6, 2021? The answer can only be that he and his backers have used the war on truth to convince many Americans that the existing powers that be are the real villains. Will the 21st century become the epoch when truth lost the battle? Gary Barnes, Mosman

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump kisses the flag.Credit: nna\seathompson

George Brandis is right – Trump is not a conservative. Rather, he displays characteristics of a fascist. He has demonstrated contempt for democracy, he is intolerant of some while favouring white Americans, and he is nationalistic and will seek vengeance against those who have asserted the law against him. The high staff turnover in his last cabinet shows he has all the characteristics of a fascist leader. Nearly all professions require members to be of demonstrated good character, yet Trump is a convicted felon. Anne Eagar, Epping

Trump’s rise didn’t occur in a vacuum. It’s ironic that in bemoaning Trump’s ascent, former Coalition minister George Brandis fails to grasp that the seeds of authoritarian regimes, in the US or elsewhere, were sowed years earlier by callous, right-wing policies espoused by Brandis and his ilk. Peter Stewart, Potts Point

Every word of warning that George Brandis wrote about Trump is true. What he doesn’t talk about, however, is how much of Trump’s strategy is aped by his own Liberal Party, most specifically by its leader, who has a great knack for dividing the nation. Charmain Brinks, Newcastle

Labor in the firing line

When my husband barked “Sean’s at it again”, I was nonplussed that Sean Kelly too, who he mistook for Sean Carney, was tearing into Albanese (“PM’s earnest image is lost in translation”, November 4). Have both Seans received head wounds in the Murdoch war on Labor? At the outset, this Labor government grasped the seriousness of the challenges ahead: climate, energy, cost of living, housing, the list goes on – and they’ve acted. Straddling the worst cost-of-living crisis, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has kept citizens in jobs. With the energy transition, Environment Minister Chris Bowen has got us nearly to 40 per cent renewables. In the UK it’s possible to go hard with change early in the piece because they have five-year terms. But not here. Thanks to the Noalition in the 1980s, we still have three. Sue Young, Bensville

EV culture wars

Ken Enderby suggests that we should wake up to the value of EVs (Letters, November 4). I woke up a few years ago but am considered “woke” for doing so, such is the extent of the culture wars over electric vehicles. Tom Meakin, Port Macquarie

I’m not sure of the financial status of contributor Ken Enderby but his enthusiasm for electric vehicles at $40,000 might not be shared by many. This represents six months’ pay to a teacher or a nurse. David Calvey, Gosford

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) and Tesla chief Elon Musk at the opening of a Tesla factory in Germany.Credit: AP

People driving Teslas were once regarded as environmentally conscious, fashionable, well-to-do folk. Now they’re driving around in Musk Mobiles that have a bit of a whiff about them. Elon has become like one of those diabolical Bond baddies, with his black heart set on world domination. Liz Herbert, Coogee

Elon Musk’s support for Donald Trump is driven by the same imperatives as Trump’s attempt at re-election – self aggrandisement and self enrichment. If Trump applies a 60 per cent tariff to Chinese EV’s, Tesla will monopolise the EV market in the US and at inflated prices. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Corporate cash cow

The low usage of public transport by airport workers shows the bizarre side-effects from sweetheart deals in public/private contracts in NSW (“Push to cut airport access fees”, November 4). Politicians arrange contracts which put corporations’ noses into the public purse, regardless of the long-term consequences. Subsidies for the train operators take about half of the income from the airport stations. Another example is the deliberate throttling of competing bus routes near new motorways or new metro lines, which keeps on happening. The threat to school sport from the privatisation of bus operations is another bizarre side effect, where it has become impossible for schools to bear the cost of buses for sport. Public services should be exactly that, not a siphon of public funds into private shareholders, which impoverishes us all and reduces efficiency. The airport should be supported by affordable public transport, not a cash cow for corporations. Barry Laing, Castle Cove

I have always considered the airport station fees to be the most blatant impost that targets not just low wage earners, but also conveys a most unwelcoming introduction to Sydney. If it is good enough for the users of Green Square and Mascot stations to be subsidised, then extending such relief to users of the two airport stations would demonstrate equity for everyone. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

Travel rorts

On the subject of flight upgrades and general travel rorts among government ministers, we should not forget former Coalition finance minister Mathias Cormann’s campaign to become head of the OECD in 2020. He was assisted in his efforts by Scott Morrison, who assembled a task force of public servants within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. And in order to meet with key players, he was flown around Europe in an RAAF jet. When it comes to travel rorts, the Coalition is clearly in a class of its own. Merona Martin, Meroo Meadow

Lack of confidence

Your correspondent Andrew Macintosh believes we have “an incorruptible election system and a non-political public service” (Letters, November 4). We also have a National Anti-Corruption Commission that is under fire for its controversial decision not to pursue federal officials over the unlawful robo-debt scheme. That doesn’t give me unlimited confidence in our elected representatives and our public servants. Mark Porter, New Lambton

Top public servant Michael Pezzullo was sacked for breaching the government’s code of conduct.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Your correspondent asserted that an antipodean version of Trump will never occur because we have a non-political public service. But look no further than robo-debt as an example of how the senior ranks of the public service can act in their master’s interests. And arguably the most powerful of the Morrison-era nabobs, Michael Pezzullo, a former Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs and Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, was shown the door after an Albanese-era inquiry found that he failed to act apolitically in his employment. Joe Weller, Mittagong

I’m sure I won’t be the only person who choked on my cereal reading Andrew Macintosh’s view that our election system is incorruptible and our public servants non-political. I immediately thought of robo-debt, the high-level public servants involved, the fact that they ignored warnings, both legal and from those lower down the ranks, that what they were doing was illegal. We must always be vigilant. Sheryl Black, Blackheath

Student debt relief

Unlike Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, I do not have a problem with Anthony Albanese’s plan to cut HECS debts after the federal election next year (Letters, November 4). This policy is fully costed, unlike Dutton’s nuclear power thought bubble, the cost of which he has not yet revealed. Robyn Lewis, Raglan

Creativity under attack

The plan to take out the ensemble group performance component from the NSW Drama Syllabus and replacing it with a further 30 minute written exam is a worrying development (“Students to sit longer HSC exams in planned creative arts syllabus overhaul”, November 3). I taught and marked HSC Drama performances state-wide for more than 20 years. What distinguishes the study of Drama over most other subjects is the collaborative nature of the ensemble group performance, entailing the sharing of ideas and skills, developing a dramatic presentation on a chosen theme that effectively engages an audience. It also allows for some students who may struggle to communicate in written form to play to their strengths in other forms, such as verbally or with movement. Over the years I have witnessed countless students, in public and private education systems, who have developed outstanding skills and confidence within the current syllabus. Why change something that isn’t broken? Robert Hickey, Green Point

Drama students at Brigidine College are disappointed at NESA’s proposed changes.Credit: Janie Barrett

In response to the proposed changes in the HSC Drama syllabus I note that the Arts are being attacked at every level of education and it started with the Morrison LNP federal government when they doubled the fees for arts and humanities subjects. Now NESA is removing the very thing that make the arts what they intrinsically are – creative. I have taught across a number of different curricula in various state and international contexts and the current NSW Drama syllabus is all-encompassing and provides great opportunities for students to follow their own personal interests in the subject, as well as create an original work in a group, the collaborative essence of the theatrical arts. Will NESA and the government listen to the teachers and professionals in the field? I doubt it. Jon Suffolk, Marrickville

Short-term solutions

Before the know-it-all talking heads of local radio get into the action to blame supposed public servants for this blunder, we need to ask “what public servants?” (“Passport office blew $135,000 on cancelled Port Douglas conference,” November 1). A recent visit to Canberra revealed that in my mate’s office there were two public servants and 50 contractors, the most experienced being 18 months in the job, with the majority on three or six-month contracts. How on earth can a multi-million dollar department be successfully run with an ever-changing workforce filled with short-term contractors? Phil Jones, Forster

Landlords are human too

Housing policy is always difficult, but the broad generalisation that landlords are these powerful, rich, entitled people just does not wash. Most landlords are ordinary folk trying to make it through life. They often also experience terrible situations where their investments are destroyed. Then they face the trial of navigating what is covered by their “landlord insurance” policies, trying to recoup some costs from the tenants, and where they are on government benefits, if they simply refuse to pay and then leave, the landlord is left with filth, damage and mounting costs. I used to be one of those landlords but have since moved my property to a different model, simply because of tenants who just get away with being offensive and destructive. Maybe the Greens could share some of their sympathy with us as well. Gavin Williams, West Bathurst

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